Rotary internal combustion engine



V 17 I 5. DE w. REED" 2,215,232

ROTARY IINTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINE v Filed Aug. 31,- 19 38 s Sheets-Shet 1 VINVENTO'R.

nchD.Red

ATTORNEYS.

Su t 17,1940. s-.131: w. REED I 2,215,232

noun! m'r'sm'm. comaus'rrou ENGINE Filed Aug. 31. 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 SperzcePD.Reed

IN V EN TOR.

' ATTORNEYS.

vBY

Sept. 17,1940. I 4 5. DE w. REED 2,215,232

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Augfliil, 193s a She ets-She et s INVENTOR.

, ATTORNEYSQ, l

. 25 In said drawings:

Patented Septl17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,215,232 3 ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE I I Spencer Dewitt Reed, Endicott, 15:. Y.

Application August 3i, 1938,, Serial No. 227,805 1 2Claims. (o 123-16 This invention relates to "a rotary internal 'Figure 13 is a similarview showing the next combustion engine of the four cycle type,, one' succeeding stage inthe advance of the engine of the objects being to provide an' engine adapted from the beginning of the firing cycle to the befor use on motor vehicles, aircraft, boats, for inginning of the exhaust cycle.

5 dustrial purposes, etc., it beingfpossible to attain Figures-leis a view similar to Figure 13 show- 5 more efficient results than ordinarily due tothe ing' theparts. at the beginning 01? the exhaust reduction of recipro'cation and lostmotion to the cycle. i Y v 7 minimumr-- Figure l5 is.aview similar toFigure 14 show-; A further object is to provide an engine of this ing the engine in position next preced that '2 type which is simple and compact in construcillustratedinFigur'e 8. I

tion,.for'med of few parts, and will not readily get Referring to t fi uresfby -.characters of ref out of order. j I 3 g erence l designates an engine block which can With the foregoing and other objects in view, 'lie'mounted on an integral base {or otherwise which will appear as the description proceeds supported, This b ock as yl der bores 3 and the invention resides in the combination and lextendin -th ito m oppo ite e ds p arrangement of parts and in the details or contively; the two lbo'res being out'of axial alinestruction hereinafter described and c1aim ed,-'it ment, due to thefact that one bore is ofiset being understood that changes inthe precisev em radially diametrically oppositeto the other bore. bodin'ient of the invention herein described, may a Each bore is provided with an annular shoulder be made within the scope of what-is claimed, 5 at its inner end and both shoulders are'de- 20 without departing from the pirit. of the inveng tachabiy enea e y' ea s 6 minz a ar tion. r chamber 1 therebetween. n

g In the 'accompan'ying drawings the preferred" Heads 9 ;close'.the outer'ends of the respective form of the invention has-been shown. r bores andrthese heads as well as'fthe heads, Q

I a provide bearings. for' 'the-engine shaft lliwhich.v 26

Figure l is a vertical section through the ene can be provided with a fly-wheel ll if desired. gine takenon the line l-'-l Figure [2, parts being Both heads 9 have chambers l2 therein in comshown in elevation. s i municationswith water jackets IS in block I so- Figure 2 is'a section an; the line 2-'- 2 Figure "L that water orany other cooling medium admitted 30 Figure 3 is asectionon line Figure 2. to the water jacket I3 through'ia'n inlet port It so i tion of one of the vanesand itsrotor showing portli.

LY Figure 4 is aplan view. is ireeto circulate within the wall of block I and Figure 5 is an enlarged sectionithrougha porl within heads 9 and thenipass outwardly through opposed sealing elements cooperating with the Each of theheads 6 has a circular guide II s vanes, said elements beingin'endelevation. extending laterallytherefroniinthe. direction '01 35 Figure 6 is a perspective view oi on'e'of 'theFthe adjacentijheadt and these guides'are con contact members of saidfsealing elements. H centric with the walls of the respective bores in Figure .7 is a side elevation oI-One' of thesealwwhichltheyare located. v v

ingrings. V i 1 I, The:'twotlgiores' 3 and t, are eccentricaily dls- 40 'FigureSisaview more orlessindiagram sho'w 'posedhrelativeato, shattglll, and secured to the 40 mg the engine. at the beginning oi its'intake,v shai't within each of the bores is a rotor H the cycle and while productsof combustion are being sidefaces of which fit snugly against the inner exhausted. v f Iacesof-theadjacenti'headsli and} while the Figure 9 is a similar viewshowlng the posip riphery of each rotor cooperateswith the pe- V: isljtions of -'the parts during] the completion otnthe. ripheral wallof its-bore or cylinder to provide exhaust cycle 'irnmediatel prior, to" the ,complean annular clearance. which, as shown particular- 7 tion of the'intakecyclei I 'y' s re 18 gradually reduced in size in Figure y it) isja .similar viwdlliistrating the 1 opposite directions .from a point of maximum beginningof the compression cyclearea to' a point diametrically opposed where a' s Figure ,11 shows the positions'of'the parts durvery; slight clearance is left"'bet ween: thereto! 50' 'ing the beginning of the firing cycle. and the wall of its cylinder; These'p'oints have v Figure 12 is a view similar to Figures 8 to 11, been indicated at a: and 11 respectively. I showing one stage of the advance of the engine Each rotor is formed with preferably to from the beginning of the firing cycle toward the equally spaced radial slots i8 extending transcommencement oi theexhaustcycle. I u verselythereoi inwardly from the periphery. and u inner end of which rides-on the circular guide l6 associated with said rotor while the outer end thus ismaintained in contact with theperipheral' wall of the cylinderor bore. ,Thus while the rotor is maintained at all times eccentric to the cylinder, the outer ends of the vanes are maintainedconstantlyin contact with the wall of the cylinder. Recesses 2!! are each rotor at opposite sides of each vane and in each of these recesses is securedabox 2| each having slots 22 in one face. These slotted faces mounted in each slot is a sealing fin 23 extendingfroma plate 24. Springs 25 are secured to one of the boxes contact with opposed faces of the vane located between the boxes and slidably' face of this plate and bear against one wall of block 2| so that they thus act to hold the fins 23 normallypressed outwardly into contact 'with the adjacentfaces of the vane I9. Byproviding a pair of thesespring-pressed fins -23 at each side of the vane, leakage of pressure alongthe vane is prevented. I

Leakage of pressure at the sides. of the rotor is overcome by the use of sealing rings 26 seated in circular grooves 21 inthehead's 6 and 9 and bearing adjacent faces of the rotors; Each of these rings is provided with pins-28 on which springs 29 are mounted so as to thrust'constantly against the rings and hold .them'pressed tightly against the faces of the rotors. The pins extend into openings of the heads, thereby preventing rotary movement of the rings with respect to the rotors. These rings areconcentric with the shaft 10 but eccentric to the bores 3 and 4.

The throat portion 3; of the clearance between each rotor and its cylinder is located between an exhaust port 30 and an ignition device such as, a spark plug 3|, it being-understood that the distance between the exhaust portion and the" spark plug is less than the distance between any two adjoining vanes I9 at-their outer ends. The

exhaust port 30 is normally closedby meansof'avalve 32 the stem 33 of .which has a spring 34 i for maintaining the valve normally closed.

Each cylinder is also provided with an intake port 35 located substantially ninety degrees in a clockwise direction beyond the spark plug, 3| as shown in' Figure 1. This port 335 is adapted to be closed by a valve 38 the I stem 31 of which has a spring 38 whereby the valve is main,-

tained normally closed. A down draft carburetor C is connected to the intake port 35.

Secured on the shaft l0 and within' chamber 1 is a gear 39 constantly in mesh with gears 40 and 4| one of which is provided for each of the cylinders of the engine. Each gear has a cam 42 and 42'v respectively rotatable therewith and thesecams respectively actuate rods 43 and 44 in succession. Rod .43 is operatively connected to a lever 45 which, in turn, is adapted to exert pressure against the valve stem 33. Rod 44 is operatively connected to a lever 46 adapted to exert thrust against the valve stem 31. It is to be understood that the gears and cams are to be so 1 timed that the'operations hereinafter explained will occur-in proper succession, the gear formed in the periphery of v was in the position shown in Figure 12.

. 7 2,215,232 ,in each slot is slidably mounted a vane [3 the 3 into four separate chambers which have been designated at a', b; c and d respectively. As'the chamber a reaches and passes the intake port 35 it will gradually increase in volume, thereby setting up a. partial vacuum which will result in fuel being sucked into said chamber as the rotor travels in a clockwise direction as indicated by arrows inthe drawings. See Figure 8. As the next succeeding chamber 1) reachesthe intake port, it toopwill have been enlarged so as to set ups. suctionof fuel into thejchamber. This action will be followed successively by chambers c and d. As the chamber a reaches the position indicated in Figure 9 and the rotor continues to move, said chamber willbecom'e gradually reduced in size as it moves to position shown in- Figure 10. Consequently the fuel mixture contained within chamber a willbegradually compressed'and this compression will continue as the advancing end of chamber a approaches the throat 1 This fuel mixture will be placed under a high degree of compression as it is forced through the throat during the further advance of chambera and at the time the back end of chamber 0 passes the exhaust port 30; which is of course closed during the foregoing operation, the compressed'gas will flow past theignition device 3|. Thus the rotor will reach the position shown in Figure 11 at which time all of the chambers a,'b, c, and d, will be filled with fuel. Before the advancing end of chamber a reaches the intake port 35 said port is closed automatically by the valve gearing and immediately thereafter the chargein chamber a while located as in Figure 11, is exploded. As the vane forming the advancing wall of chamber a presentsan imthroat y and that portion of the vane exposed adjacent thereto, an impulse in a clockwise direction will be imparted to the rotor as a result of the explosion. v,This will bring chamber binto firing position as shown in Figure 12 while champact-receiving surface of greater area than the ber a with the burned gas therein, will continue g to travel in a clockwise direction, said chamber increasing in transverse area until it reaches the position shown in Figure 13 following which the spent gases will be slightly contracted substantially to the conditionpresent when chamber a Successive explosions take place in the four chambers until finally chamber a is brought to the position as shown in Figure 14 where it is in communication with the exhaust port 30. i The create a part vacuum as heretofore explained so that when it reaches the position shown in Figure 8 the cycle will be completed and the chamber is ready once more to receive the exmaining open until the four chambers have been brought successively into communication there- Y with after which it closes and remains closed until said chambers are again in position to receive an explosive mixture. The exhaust valve remains closed while the chambers are receiving the explosive mixture and until the first chamber in which an explosion has occurred reaches port 30 at which time said exhaust valve opens and stays open until the four chambers have exhausted thereinto.

What is claimed is:- 1. A rotary internal combustion engine including a cylinder, a rotor eccentrically located therein and cooperating therewith to provide an annular space therebetween gradually increasing in transverse area in oppwite directionsfrom a restricted throat or passage to a diametrically opposed point oi maximum area, radial vanes slidable in the rotor and dividing said space into separate chambers variable in volume during the operation of the rotor; intake and exhaust ports, means controlled by the operation of the rotor for maintaining the intake port open during one complete rotation of the rotor to charge allof the chambers successively with fuel as they, leave the throat portion of the annular space, thereby to provide an engine alllchambers of which are filled with fuel during one complete rotation of the rotor. said means operating to maintain the said port closed during the next rotation of the motor, means under the control of the rotorfor maintaining the exhaust port closed until the last of the fuel charged chambers has passed said port, said rotor, :vanes and cylinder cooperating to compress the charges of fuel successively within all of the chambers and force said charges successively past the throat, means for firing the rotation of the rotor as their-chambers leave the throat thereby to impart a propelling impulse the exhaust port to the throat to create a vacuum in each chamber after leaving the throat and preparatory to being recharged with fuel.

2. A rotary internal combustion engine including non-aligning cylinders offset in opposite dirotation, said chambers moving successively from I rections respectively, a shaft extending through I the cylinders and eccentric relative thereto, a rotor concentric with and secured to the shaft in each cylinder, each cylinder, itsrotor and 00- operating parts comprising" a complete unit disposed o'ppositely to the unit formed by the other cylinder, its rotor and associated parts, the rotor of each unit cooperatinglwlth its cylinder to provide an annular ,space therebetween gradually increasing in transverse area in opposite directions =-from a restricted throat or passage to a diametrically opposed point of maximum area, each unit includingradial vanes slidable in the rotor and dividing'said space into separate chambers variable in volume during the operation of the rotor, intake and exhaust ports, means controlled by the operation of the rotor for maintaining the intake port open during one complete rotation of the rotor to charge all oi! the chambers successively with fuel as they leave the throatportion of the annular space, thereby to provide an engine all chambers of which are filled with fuel during one complete-rotation of the rotor, said means operating to maintain the said port closed'during the next rotation of the motor, means under the control of the rotor for maintaining the exhaust port closed until the last of the fuel charged chambers has passed said port, said rotor, vanes'and cylinder cooperating to compress the charges of fuel successively within all of the chambers and force said charges successively past the throat, means for firing the charges thereby to impart a propelling impulse against the advancingvane' of each chamber successively, and means for'maintaining the exhaust port open during that period when the chambers containing burned gases move successively into communica- ..tion with said port duringsaid second rotation,

said chambers moving successively from the exhaust port to the throat to create a vacuum in each chamber after leaving the throat and preparatory to being recharged with fuel.

. SPENCER DE WI'I'I REED. 

